The Latest News on Binge Drinking

Now here's something you don't hear every day: something binge drinking doesn't completely screw up. A study by Boston University School of Public Health and Brown University, published in the April edition of the journal Addiction, indicates binge drinking before taking a test really doesn't make a difference in the score. (If we knew then what we know now...) But seriously—of course this is not evidence that binge drinking before a test, before work, or pretty much anytime is a good idea. This study found participants' reaction times and moods were affected negatively by alcohol; previous studies associate binge drinking with low motivation and class attendance; and there's also the possibility of blackouts, alcohol poisoning, and liver damage.